explore the out of doors, time to think and dream, and
time to wonder and experiment.
How to begin? It’s easier than you might think. Just
unplug and send the kids outside. They won’t need an
agenda or directions. Once they find themselves in the
great outdoors, they’ll do the rest.
Here are eight benefits of unstructured, outdoor play.
And they’re important.
1. Authentic Play
Today’s kids are steeped in a virtual world. They’re
adept at computer use, coding, programming and
the like, and that’s fine. They need to understand the
technological world. But they also need authentic,
hands-on experiences that can’t be had in a classroom
or computer lab. They need to be grounded in the
real world and able to engage in real-life experiences.
They need to do real-time observation, exploration and
interaction with the real world. They need the sensory
experiences of watching a bird find a worm, of tracking
the tiny veins and capillaries on a leaf, of squishing dirt
and water together into mud. Kids need to play self-
created games and make up their own rules apart from
adult supervision. They need to learn how to try and fail
and try again to make their play creations work.
2. Enhanced Decision-making
Children need to know how to listen and follow
directions in the classroom and in other activities such
as sports. But they also need the opportunity to play
independent of adult oversight. They need to decide
to create something or explore something and then
make their own plan. They need to cooperate with
others to follow the rules to their own kid-made games.
They need the freedom to adapt rules to their current
situation and then evaluate whether or not their plan
worked. All of these skills are strengthened when kids
are allowed to play outside independently.
3. Active vs. Sedentary Play
We all know the statistics on the overall health of
today’s kids. Too many are overweight and unfit. Too
many are lethargic and uninspired. In short, many of
our kids don’t move enough to be happy and healthy.
But knowing isn’t the same as doing. Parents need to
push through a bit of resistance and insist that our
children go outside whether it’s for time in their own
backyard or access to a larger natural environment.
While parks can offer some of the necessary ingredients
to healthier play, wilder natural environments such as
hiking trails or woodlands are even better. Nothing
inspires kids to build forts and create their own games
more than an untouched-by-man setting.
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